Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen?"
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty centers on the theme "Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen," exploring the dramatic downfalls and reconsiderations of once-celebrated public figures and movements. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty take a critical look at prominent individuals including Cesar Chavez and Paul Ehrlich, reflect on the true nature of Jeffrey Epstein’s influence, and finally examine the current crisis in Cuba, as well as recent geopolitical events in the Middle East. The tone is pointed, irreverent, and sharply skeptical of both historical and current narratives.

Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Breaking News and Introduction

• [04:03] Joe Getty breaks the news that Iran has struck the world’s largest gas field in Saudi Arabia, causing oil and gas market spikes.
  • Armstrong and Getty discuss the likely strategic calculations behind Iran's actions.
    • "Boy. Wow. They're in a hole and they are digging as fast as they can, just trying to make everybody as angry as possible..." – Jack Armstrong [04:20]
• The accidental emergence of the episode’s theme is introduced: the fall of public figures and ideals.

2. The Case of Cesar Chavez: “The Brown Martin Luther King”

• [05:19] Background on Cesar Chavez is provided, detailing his iconic status as a civil rights leader for farm workers.
  • Chavez's legacy is explored, with Joe Getty highlighting how progressive curriculums and local honors in California have essentially sanctified him.
    • "Schools were renamed, statues erected, documentaries produced with soft lighting and swelling violins..." – Joe Getty [05:44]
• Recent revelations are addressed:
  • Serious allegations have emerged (from the New York Times) that Chavez sexually abused minors and raped adult women.
  • Armstrong and Getty question the timing and motivations behind these revelations:
    • "Are they desanctifying this guy because of the immigration stuff, or did these women just come forward and it's what it appears to be on the surface? I don't know." – Jack Armstrong [09:51]
• Chavez’s complex legacy:
  • Anti-illegal immigration stance: detailed incidents of Chavez and UFW physically stopping undocumented immigrants and reporting them to federal agents.
    • "Chavez saw unchecked illegal immigration as a direct threat to jobs, bargaining power, and living standards for domestic farm workers." – Joe Getty [08:21]
  • The hosts debate historical revisionism, asking if anyone “great” can remain honored once their flaws are unearthed.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "He was like an amateur ICE agent." – Jack Armstrong [08:19]
  • "Raping a 13 year old is really awful, but he still did all the things he did. And that's where I wonder about where we go historically on this." – Joe Getty [10:02]

3. Paul Ehrlich & The Population Bomb: Influence and Infamy

• [14:56] Discussion begins on Paul Ehrlich, famed for the 1968 eco-doom bestseller "The Population Bomb."
  • Ehrlich’s dire predictions: hundreds of millions starving, drastic drops in American life expectancy, and societal collapse by the 1980s.
    • "In 1968 he forecast that within the coming decade, at least 100 to 200 million people per year will be starving to death." – Jack Armstrong [15:43]
  • Analysis of why Ehrlich was "spectacularly wrong":
    • Advances in agriculture, shifts in population policy, and falling famine rates worldwide.
    • "Yet something did prevent that… famine has gone all but gone extinct." – Jack Armstrong [16:43]
  • The “monster” side:
    • Ehrlich openly advocated for "coercive" and compulsory population control, including forced sterilization.
      • "The operation will demand many apparently brutal and heartless decisions. The pain may be intense." – Jack Armstrong, quoting Ehrlich [19:50]
    • India’s forced sterilization program in the 1970s was highlighted as being driven by these ideas.
    • Ehrlich’s U.S. policy suggestions included media propaganda against big families and even jail for “the fertile.”
      • "If necessary, start legislating the size of the family and throw you in jail if you have too many children. Those are quotes." – Jack Armstrong [21:46]
    • Getty and Armstrong reflect on how public doom-mongering has morphed into profitable political and business ventures.
      • "There are a lot of true believers, but there are a lot of cynics who are like, oh my God. We frighten the populace to the point that they'll authorize any expenditure." – Jack Armstrong [23:18]

4. Jeffrey Epstein: The Real Game Was Insider Networking

• [29:33] Armstrong pivots to Jeffrey Epstein, arguing that a fixation on the sexual exploitation angle obscures another story: financial manipulation and networking at the highest levels.
  • Epstein’s superpower was elite social networking—not just blackmail, but connecting people and currying favor via inside information and business deals.
    • "Epstein was a rock star of networking... He knew what everybody's levers were...flattering them, investing in them, giving them tips, connecting them..." – Jack Armstrong [31:40]
  • The Wall Street Journal is cited for exposing Epstein's deep involvement in insider stock trading.
  • This segment underscores the power dynamics leveraged by such figures and the host’s own discomfort with social climbing.
    • "I'm so bad at that sort of thing. Not insider trading, but networking." – Jack Armstrong [33:05]

5. Cuba on the Brink: A Country in Crisis

• [34:29] The focus shifts to Cuba’s escalating collapse amidst nationwide blackouts and food shortages.
  • Reports detail hospitals closing, food spoilage, and a general sense that this is the worst crisis Cubans have faced.
    • "In a country used to hardship, the situation has never been worse than it is right now in Cuba..." – Joe Getty [35:17]
  • Trump is quoted fantasizing about “taking” or “freeing” Cuba:
    • "I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. That'd be good. That's a big honor." – Donald Trump (clip) [36:24]
  • Armstrong & Getty discuss the potential for regime change and the economic potential of a free Cuba, referencing its rich cultural contributions:
    • "That should be a prosperous... Cuba's a giant one of those (Caribbean destinations). Plus it's closer." – Joe Getty [38:00]

6. Middle East Update: Iran, Israel, and Escalations

• [44:49] Armstrong clarifies breaking news: Israel attacked Iran’s biggest natural gas field, signaling further escalation in the region.
  • "The reporting today is, according to Ian Bremmer, that Israel attacked the biggest natural gas field on the planet in Iran with our encouragement... that is a signal that the war is escalated." – Jack Armstrong [45:53]
  • The hosts ponder the long-term prospects of Iran, possible civil collapse, and nuclear proliferation.
    • "Sometimes you have two very bad options and you have to choose one of them." – Jack Armstrong [46:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "He was like an amateur ICE agent." – Jack Armstrong on Cesar Chavez [08:19]
• "Are they desanctifying this guy because of the immigration stuff, or did these women just come forward and it's what it appears to be on the surface? I don't know." – Jack Armstrong [09:51]
• "Ehrlich's book begins with an evening in Delhi, India, when he found the press of people overwhelming... The answer to his culture shock, he argued, was coerced. Compulsory population control." – Jack Armstrong [19:19-19:50]
• "If I'm always wrong, so is science, since my work is peer reviewed..." – Paul Ehrlich, quoted by Jack Armstrong [16:58]
• "Epstein was a rock star of networking. He was an incredibly gifted networker... That was his skill." – Jack Armstrong [31:40]
• "I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. That'd be good. That's a big honor." – Donald Trump (audio clip) [36:24]
• "He is not a caretaker president. No doubt." – Joe Getty on Donald Trump [48:35]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:30] – Trump B2 Bomber clip and Saudi/Iran breaking news
• [05:19] – Cesar Chavez: Icon to Outcast
• [14:56] – Paul Ehrlich & “The Population Bomb”: Influence, Failure, and Harm
• [29:33] – Jeffrey Epstein: The Deeper Game (Insider Trading and Networking)
• [34:29] – Cuba’s Blackouts, Potential for Regime Change, and U.S. Politics
• [44:49] – Clarification: Israel Attacks Iran’s Gas Field; Regional Implications
• [46:46] – Hard Choices in Foreign Policy

Closing Thoughts

• The final sequence is a mix of irreverent humor, brainstorming, and big-picture reflection: Disney buying Cuba, morbid fascination over Netflix series, and jokes about "caretaker presidents."
• "Some presidents have been referred to as caretaker presidents...whatever the opposite of that is, that's Donald J." – Jack Armstrong [48:21]

Summary

This episode of Armstrong & Getty offers a biting, engaging autopsy of idealized figures brought low by their own flaws or the shifting winds of history. The hosts dissect the fall of Cesar Chavez and Paul Ehrlich, reflect on the true nature of Epstein’s “success,” and bring attention to the acute crisis in Cuba and new flashpoints in the Middle East. Throughout, the tone is skeptical, wry, and intent on challenging prevailing narratives—sure to engage those interested in how yesterday’s heroes become today’s cautionary tales.